Confined by Fear in a Supposed Sanctuary
For the past month, I’ve stayed close to home, venturing out only when my husband Brad is with me. Coffee shops—once spaces of community—now feel dangerous, especially for African Americans and immigrants like me. I’ve been doing my doctoral work from the living room and bedroom, weighed down by the constant fear of detention and separation from my loved ones.
A Coffee Run Turned Confrontation
Just over a week ago, Brad and I stopped at a Starbucks for my favorite hazelnut oat milk latte. Out of nowhere, a group of masked white men approached us and demanded to see my papers. They ignored Brad, who is white, and when he challenged them, they told him to “shut the f*** up.” When I asked for a warrant, they did not answer. Instead, they threatened me with arrest. I told Brad to call the mayor’s office, hoping someone would intervene.
White Terror Isn’t New—It’s Evolved
I knew this moment was coming. My spiritual guide, Mother Evangelist Idella Cora Thomas, taught me to recognize evil when it showed up. What I experienced isn’t random—it’s the modern version of what W.E.B. Du Bois called “white terror.” This system uses violence, intimidation, and fear to keep Black people in their place. Trump and Stephen Miller are not anomalies; they’re extensions of this deeper structure.
“Donald Trump is not the disease but a symptom — a manifestation of systemic oppression that reveals how white supremacy and white terror operate through our political and religious institutions in this era. He is merely the face of a deeper spiritual cancer coursing through America’s veins.”
My Family Says I’m the Problem
Some Trump supporters in my family say I’m the one dividing people. They want “unity,” but only on their terms. They refuse to see how their silence enables oppression. They dismiss my activism and sermons, but I won’t be silent. This isn’t just about politics—it’s about survival and legacy.
Community Is My Source of Strength
Even in these dark times, I’ve seen hope. ICE deployed tear gas during a Halloween parade in my neighborhood. Families were there, and kids were crying. But neighbors organized, and a lawyer stepped in to investigate. People are finally witnessing the violence we’ve been shouting about. Together, through faith and community, we are resisting. This is spirit work, and it will outlast the monuments of oppression.
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Surviving white terror in the age of Trump and Miller
Photo by Fahmi Fakhrudin on Unsplash
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